Cool Kitty
by Joushou-Sensei
Summary: Izumi is an awkward and socially anxious girl starting a new college prep course, when she meets Kuroo Tetsuro. She never thought she'd have time for a relationship with everything going on in her life but Kuroo might just change her priorities. As they get to know each other she begins to wonder if she wants to change, and if Kuroo is the one to change for.
1. Chapter 1

Hello readers, this will be a Kuroo X OC paring fic. It will also incorporate a few elements from other anime's although it wont be a true crossover fic. The POV will change periodically as well so names that are italicized will be your indicator of that. Please enjoy, and know that the rating may go up later on.

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Chapter 1

A fateful Meeting

Izumi Nomura swayed with the train as it made its way to her destination. The sun was setting outside the window and the music coming from her headphones made for a moody scene. She had her note book in one hand and the other clutched a hand railing. Her chin length black hair was held back today by barrettes, and her pale blue eyes stared impassively at the pink hues cast upon the city. At 175 cm she towered over most people on the train, save a few guys, her dark hair and pale skin had earned her the title 'Cool Beauty' at her school. She didn't feel the title was well earned, as she was gangly with long limbs and a barely passable chest size.

She was headed to her college prep school, it was her first day, and she was already resigned to spending her weeknights there studying to get into whatever college her parents hoped she would. She'd rather be at Noise, a live music bar that her uncle ran in Shinjuku. She worked there part time, even though she really didn't need to. Her parents weren't too fond of it but let her do it anyway. As long as her grades were above average they let her do what she wanted. Her uncle was happy to have her as he didn't really have a head for numbers, just music. It was a small club and could hold only up to twenty-five patrons at once, but the talents that came through always had the place packed.

The train came to a stop and Izumi placed her notebook in her school bag before following the others who were disembarking. She was a third year at Kaiga Academy, a relatively prestigious school with somewhat expensive tuition fees. It certainly wasn't Horikoshi, but her parents had insisted she go there even though it was a twenty minuet train ride to get to and then a ten minuet walk after that. She could have just as easily of gone to Nekoma High which was literally down the street from her house.

Walking into the prep school she found that nearly all of the seats were taken. She looked at her watch, she was fifteen minutes early. Her eyes quickly scanned the theater seating and found an open seat near the middle and proceeded to head for it.

 _Tetsuro_

Kuroo Tetsuro was pulling out a notebook from his bag when the door to the classroom opened and the light chatter that had been going on went quiet. He looked up at the door and understood why. A tall girl had just walked in, a very tall girl. She had a very passive look on her attractive face, and her blazer had the Kaiga academy emblem emblazoned on the right breast pocket. Her red tie had a white chrysanthemum on it signifying that she was in the top ten percent of her graduating class. The school was well known to have a few geniuses, and he wondered for a moment it she was one of them. She seemed to be in her own world with her headphones on as she looked for an open seat. There was one in front, a few in the very back and one next to him. As she walked she seemed to emanate an aura of icy coolness, and so while everyone stared at her she seemed oblivious. She skipped the seat up front and made her way to the seat next to him, and without a look in his direction she sat down and prepared to take notes. He watched as her slender hands and long fingers placed her notebook and pencils on the desk. Finally when the teacher walked in she took her headphones off. Her hair was so short it brushed her chin and curled up slightly to frame her face. Kuroo shook his head, how long had he stared at her?

 _Izumi_

As she took notes she noticed that the guy next to her was fiddling with his pencil, and not really taking any notes. It was really only review, so she figured that taking notes wasn't really a necessity today. He was slouched slightly in his chair, and his hair had that effortlessly tousled look about it. He suddenly looked over her way and he caught her staring at him and smirked at her. Izumi could feel a tick of annoyance flare up at his smirk. It was rather arrogant looking, but he turned back to the lecture to listen to the teacher. He was rather attractive in a wild sort of way, a lot of guys in her school were that way.

The class ended early since it was the first day, and as she packed her things the guy next to her stood up and stretched. She couldn't help it, she stared at him again. He was huge! He had to be the tallest person in the room. He caught her again and smiled again at her.

"Tall." She said under her breath. He let out a soft chuckle.

"Likewise." He said pulling his shoulder bag on and heading down the steps to take a handout the teacher was giving to everyone. Izumi shook her head and followed. As she left the room she was nearly knocked over.

"Izumi!" A high pitched girlish voice shouted as the person it belonged to hugged Izumi's waist. Catching herself before she toppled over Izumi could see the bleached hair of Karin Momotori, a girl from her class.

"Ah, Karin." She said matter-of-factly. The shorter girl released her and smiled at Izumi. Karin was a fashionable girl with shoulder length blonde hair and warm brown eyes. She usually looked rather dazed, but she was in fact extremely smart. She too was wearing their school's uniform and also had a chrysanthemum on her tie.

"I saw you come in but you looked so far away, so I let you find a seat." She said looping an arm through one of Izumi's as she led them out of the building.

"Sorry, I was listening to my music." Izumi said as she let Karin lead. Karin nodded her head in understanding. It wasn't unusual for Izumi to ignore the outside world.

"I'm glad you're in this class too! I had no idea you'd signed up. Maybe we can be study buddies." Izumi smiled at Karin and nodded.

"That sounds great." The taller girl said with a soft smile. While not antisocial Izumi was nowhere near as social as Karin. She kept to herself at school, but didn't actively avoid people. Karin snickered and pulled Izumi a bit closer, the taller girl having to slouch slightly.

"That guy you sat next to, he's staring at you. He's pretty cute too." Izumi felt an eyebrow quirk and looked ahead to see that guy quickly looking away as he spoke with another guy from their class.

"Do you know him?" Karin asked excitedly, Izumi shook her head no. Karin laughed sweetly.

"You should then!" She said giving Izumi another squeeze. Izumi smiled and shook her head.

"You know I don't have time for that sort of thing." She said as the two girls walked up the steps to the train platform, with the two boys ahead of them. Karin made a show of rolling her sweet brown eyes.

"I'm telling you, you find the right guy and even you'd make time." Her face had a dreamy look on it, and Izumi knew she spoke from experience.

"Are you and the guy from…uh…" Izumi broke off trying to remember the name of Karin's current boyfriend's school.

"Nohebi, and yes Daisho and I are still blissfully happy together." Karin released Izumi's arm.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow Izumi!" She said bouncing off in the direction of her train. Izumi waved, happy to have someone she knew in her prep course. As she waited for her train she donned her headphones again. She thought about what Karin said and shook her head with a small laugh. She wouldn't even know how to go about getting to know a guy. Sure she'd had a few crushes, and even had a confession two years ago. The boy who confessed she'd never met and had turned down. She honestly had no idea how some people found time to just hang out with their significant others. Especially with studying, and working her part time job. Before she knew it her train arrived and she found a seat quickly.

As the train began moving she felt a tap on her shoulder. Looking to her left she felt her mouth hang open slightly as the guy from class smiled at her and pointed to the seat next to her. Looking around the train there were a handful of open seats. She nodded politely and then pretended to stare at her notebook. Then after a moment she felt another tap on her shoulder. She looked at the guy who was smiling patiently. She paused her music and took her headphones off.

"Yes?" She asked wondering what he wanted.

"Hey, I was wondering what you were listening too." He said casually. Izumi suddenly realized that he wanted to make small talk and she felt her face freeze. She wasn't prepared. She stiffly showed him her phone.

"Nino." She said quickly. Looking at the floor. He made an approving sound.

"I've never heard of them, would you recommend them?" He was good at this, talking about nothing important. She looked up from the spot on the floor and nodded.

"They're still pretty rough, but I think with experience they'll be pretty big soon." She'd gotten her hands on a few recordings of her current obsession, Nino, a band that played at her uncles. He seemed mildly impressed.

"So they're an underground band? Nice." His fringe covered his right eye slightly and he swiped at it with his hand.

"Yeah, they play at my uncle's place now and then." She said gaining a little confidence in the encounter.

"I'm Kuroo Tetsuro by the way, we're in the same prep class." He said holding out a hand. Izumi shook it and nodded.

"I know, we sit next to each other." She said. He smirked and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh good, so you noticed?" Izumi felt her face go a bit warm.

"Of course." She said a bit flustered. Kuroo relaxed a bit in his seat and nodded to her school uniform's crest.

"Pretty prestigious school, I can't imagine you need to take a prep course." He said resting his hands behind his head.

"I'm only taking it because my parents insisted." She said putting her phone in her pocket and her headphones in her bag.

"You still haven't told me your name you know?" He said smiling at her with a bit of mischief in his eyes which she noticed were a sort of amber color.

"Right, sorry. It's Izumi, Izumi Nomura." She could feel the heat of embarrassment creep up her neck.

"Do you play a sport at your school Nomura?" Kuroo went on like he'd not noticed her embarrassment. She shook her head.

"No, I'm not exactly…coordinated." She said fiddling with her skirt. Kuroo was quiet for a moment before he made a sort of laugh in the back of his throat which made Izumi look up at him. His smirk was gone and a small gentle smile had taken its place. It felt like he was trying to calm a skittish animal.

"Do I make you nervous?" He asked quietly. Izumi's eyes went wide and she could feel that uneasiness she always felt when talking to people she didn't know make its way to her face. He seemed to understand instantly and laughed again.

"No need to be nervous Nomura, we're just classmates talking on the way home right?" He was exceedingly friendly, she thought, compared to how he looked. It made her racing heart slow down to a relatively normal pace.

"Sorry, I just didn't think you were the type to be shy." He said as Izumi seemed to relax a bit.

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously. He looked her up and down as if it was obvious.

"You have a sort of cool air about you." He said leaning back again. Izumi nodded understanding.

"I get that a lot actually. They call me Cool Beauty at school, but really it should be Clumsy Queen." She said with a look of resigned despair. Kuroo laughed, and Izumi found herself smiling too.

"I would have thought with your height that you played basketball or volleyball." Kuroo said. Izumi shook her head vehemently.

"No way, I have trouble enough walking down the hall." She said remembering the times she tripped over herself just that day. She looked at Kuroo and remembered how rough his large hand was.

"You play a sport though, don't you?" She asked. Kuroo's smirk was back and he seemed rather proud.

"I do, in fact I am the captain of the volleyball team at Nekoma." He comically puffed out his chest and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Impressed?" He asked still wiggling his eyebrows. Izumi couldn't stop the bark of laughter that bubbled up from her chest. Kuroo looked a bit more proud now.

"You certainly have the height for it, I live near Nekoma." She said actually starting to enjoy the conversation. Kuroo's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Oh well then you should come see one of our games, you'll get the V.I.P treatment since you know me. Obviously." He said as the train began to slow down. Izumi stood up and lifted her bag onto her shoulder.

"I…I'll have to see if I have time." She said fiddling with the strap of her bag. Kuroo stood and grabbed his own bag.

"This is my stop too, we can exchange numbers so I can tell you the next game is. You can bring your loud friend." He said as they both stepped off the train.

Outside the station Kuroo held out his phone and Izumi did the same, after the ping signaling that they had successfully exchanged info, she gave him a small overly polite bow.

"Well goodnight Kuroo." She said scurrying off down the street.

 _Kuroo_

Tetsuro smiled as Izumi practically ran down the street, she reminded him a little of Kenma. He wondered if the people who called her Cool Beauty knew how wrong they were. She was endearingly shy, but very warm once you pried open her shell. As he walked down the street to his own house he wondered why he found her so compelling, he usually was attracted to girls with long hair. Maybe it was her odd personality. Whatever it was, Kuroo shrugged and walked home with a smile lingering on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter's playlist while I was writing it is one of the Negoto playlist on YouTube. Check it out to set the mood while you read.

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Chapter two

Game Time

Izumi woke up before her alarm, a habit she really needed to break. She sat up in her bed, a huge bed that in a normal room would take up the whole space. Her room itself was the size of a small family apartment. Although it was spacious, with what little she used to decorate it the place seemed empty and barely lived in. Her mother had decorated the house so it was all in a sleek modern style, Izumi's room the only one with any bright colors, like her plastic orange side table that held her phone and a small lamp that looked like a thundercloud. She looked towards her door where a full length mirror reflected her bed head, the back of her hair sticking out. Like every day she got out of bed, and went to her bathroom where she quickly showered and tamed her hair, before dressing in her school's uniform. Just as she was straightening her tie a knock came from her bedroom door.

"Izumi? Oh there you are, I've made breakfast for you." Izumi came out of the bathroom to see Kohei Miraitama, the house caretaker, and her parent's assistant. They were so rarely home, what with work, that they'd hired the young man straight out of college to keep an eye on their daughter and the house. He was in his twenties, Izumi had never asked his age, and had a laid back personality. His shoulder length honey colored hair was tied back at the nape of his slender neck, and his deep brown eyes were kind. He was a slender man, nearing on girlish, but was a fraction of a bit taller than Izumi. He was like her mother, brother, and father all in one.

"Thanks Koh, I'll be right down, any news?" She asked as she grabbed her phone and shoved it into her blazer pocket. Kohei smiled sadly at her and shook his head, he stuffed his hands into the apron pockets.

"No, sorry. I think they're still in Paris right now. Although you mother was saying how good your report cards have been." He said as he followed her down the steps to the main living area, there were two. Izumi sighed loudly, and rolled her eyes.

"Koh, you should just adopt me and make it official." She said walking to the small table in the kitchen they both always used. The formal dining room had a twelve foot glass and steel table that nobody ever used. Kohei laughed and handed her a glass of juice then sat at his own spot.

"I have! You're my precious daughter now." He said before taking a drink from his coffee mug.

"You're too young to be my father, brother maybe." She said noticing the cute shape of the pickles he'd put on her plate. They discussed what their plans for the day were, he asked what she'd want for dinner, and she asked if he needed her to pick up anything. It was all very familiar, and normal for Izumi. Izumi's phone beeped, the alarm for her to leave, and she thanked Kohei for breakfast. He saw her to the door like always, and handed over her school bag.

"Have a good day!" He said as she opened the ornate glass door, she turned and smiled back at him.

"I'm off." She said closing the door and heading to the train station. She slid her headphones on and picked up where she'd left off last night. The journey to school was uneventful, and after exchanging her shoes at her locker she ran into Karin who happily greeted her.

"Morning!" The hyper girl said with a wave. Izumi gave her a small wave and the two proceeded to class. Karin greeted no less than sixteen people on the way there. Once class had started the day turned into a blur of normality. That is until at lunch Izumi's cell beeped that she'd gotten a message. Before she could pick it up and see who'd messaged her, thinking Kohei had thought of something to pick up, Karin snatched the phone off the desk and squealed. Most everyone in the room stopped to watch. Karin's eyes sparkled and she showed the phone to Izumi, like it wasn't hers to begin with.

"Who's Kuroo Tetsuro?" She asked with a hungry grin. Izumi looked at the message indication and took the phone. She swiped it and tapped in her password before reading the message.

"He's the guy from prep class, the tall one." She said offhandedly, not noticing that Karin's eyes had practically popped from her head. Kuroo's message was short and to the point.

There's a game Friday after school. Can you come? – Tetsuro

Izumi opened her calendar on her phone and checked to see if she had prep school, or anything else on Friday. She was free.

"I…ZU…MI!" Karin practically shouted as said girl was quietly thinking about whether to go or not.

"Yes?" She asked Karin rather surprised that the shorter girl was practically on top of Izumi's desk now.

"Are…are you and he…" Karin's expectant eyes made Izumi laugh. She shook her head and sat the phone down going back to eating.

"He asked if I wanted to see a volleyball game on Friday." She said before taking a sip of water. Karin nodded her head enthusiastically.

"And? What did you say? Are you going?" Izumi looked around the classroom now, noticing that people were watching them and Karin seemed oblivious. She looked back to her friend and shrugged.

"I don't know, I barely know him. He's nice though." She said that last part thoughtfully. Karin's face crumpled in dismay and she sat back down before looking at her own phone.

"You should go, where is the game?" She asked swiping through her overly cute phone. Izumi closed her now empty lunch box and put it away.

"At Nekoma High." She said before standing up and throwing away hers and Karin's empty water bottles. Karin was smiling slyly when Izumi sat back down.

"What?" Izumi asked reluctantly seeing Karin's face.

"You're going to go, because I'm going too!" Karin said showing Izumi her schedule for Friday. On it in bubble letters was the name Dai, and volleyball game at Nekoma. Izumi quirked an eyebrow.

"Your boyfriend is playing the Nekoma team?" She asked surprised. Karin nodded triumphantly.

"And so you have to go now." She said as if it was some sort of sage advice. Izumi, who wasn't busy anyway, laughed a bit at her friend.

"Alright then, I'll go. I haven't met your boyfriend yet anyway." She said thinking it a good opportunity to introduce herself.

Throughout the rest of the day Karin would mention that Izumi needed to dress nice, and to try some makeup. When Izumi asked why Karin glared at her and then began explaining why women did such things. Izumi endured it. Karin was her friend after all. Karin caused such a distraction all day that by the time school was over and Izumi was headed to her uncle's she'd forgotten to reply to Kuroo. As she swayed on the train to Shinjuku she pulled out her phone and did just that.

I'll be there, Karin is coming too. Her boyfriend plays for Nohebi. – Izumi

She put her phone back in her pocket, the music from her playlist starting back up. Her pocket buzzed and her music went muted for a moment. He'd replied so quickly.

You have to sit on my side. – Tetsuro

Izumi couldn't help the small laugh that worked its way up out. Izumi usually felt uncomfortable with people who were so straight forward, used to bland politeness of people. It was a wonder that she and Karin were friends now that she thought about it. She wondered what to say to his demand, because that's what it was.

Only if it's the V.I.P section. – Izumi

She hesitated for a moment before sending the message, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks. She waited this time for a reply, hoping it would be a quick one.

Of course! See you Friday. – Tetsuro

Unlike other people she had to converse with on a daily basis; students, teachers, strangers. She was almost frightened by how easily she conversed with a boy she'd met only once. As the train came to a slow stop she shook her head, what a weird thing to think about. She made her way down the busy streets, walking faster than normal, she made it to Noise. It was already open but people usually didn't start piling in till later. She waved to the door man who scanned I.D's and made her way down the stairs to the bar. There was a band already on stage tuning their instruments. It was one she knew well. An all-female band with a piano playing vocalist. They had a happy go lucky sweet type of music. The vocals light and soothing.

Izumi found her uncle in the back office sorting through papers with a frown on his face.

"Uncle." Izumi said smiling at the man, when he looked up he smiled at her too. He was her father's brother and they were only a few years apart. They looked very similar with their dark hair. Although her uncle looked cooler in Izumi's opinion with his ear piercings, fashionably styled hair and trendy clothes. He was usually sporting a leather jacket.

"Zumi! I'm glad you're here, think you can get through most of this tonight? I've got a few new talents coming in tonight to discuss stage times." He said standing from his worn desk chair and holding it for her.

"I'll take care of it." She said smiling at him as he rushed out the door with an apologetic wave. He'd steadily been getting busier, with the popularity of his club skyrocketing thanks to the discovery of Nino and other popular underground bands. Normally he'd have sat with her for a while asking about her day and getting her a snack himself. Izumi figured that he felt bad for her, since her parents were gone all the time. She went over the invoices, the pay for the few employees, and the inventory. Eventually she made her way out of the paper jungle and went behind the bar. The best seat in the house, to talk to the bartender about what was selling and what wasn't doing so great. Everyone at the club knew her, and where friendly.

The band was in mid set, and it was nearing ten. Izumi waved down her uncle who was changing out a light.

"I have to get home, and remember I won't be here tomorrow…or Friday." She said as he brought her in for a hug. He looked at her confused. Izumi usually stayed late on Friday's for the whole show. She felt a bit of flush on her neck.

"I'm going to a friend's volleyball game." She said looking at the band. Her uncle winked at her, catching the blush.

"Well than I hope you have fun! Bring your friends here sometime." He said as Izumi smiled and said goodbye.

At home Kohei was already asleep but he'd left dinner out for her, and Izumi ate quickly before heading to bed.

Friday

Friday passed in a hurried daze for Izumi, until she was picking what to wear to the game. Karin had said that she would pick her up on the way to the school. She'd decided on a simple pair of beige linen shorts, and white blouse with a pretty pearled peter pan collar. As for shoes she stuck with sneakers. She heard the doorbell ring right as she was applying a thin layer of peach colored lip glass, and trying to not poke herself in the eye with the mascara Karin had given her. She grabbed her purse, phone and lip gloss before heading downstairs.

Kohei was chatting with Karin as Izumi bounced down the stairs. He smiled at her and handed her a small bag with snacks in it.

"I thought you two could use some food." He said with a smile. Izumi nodded.

"Thank you Kohei! I wish you'd adopt me too!" Karin said latching onto Izumi's arm with a pouty face. The older man laughed and ushered the two out the door.

"Go on now, and have fun!" He said closing the door. Karin squeezed Izumi's arm.

"You're so lucky! I want a Kohei too!" She said as they began the short walk to the high school.

Once there Izumi and Karin made their way to the gym where the sounds of sneakers on a gym floor could be heard. Inside a few classmates were up in the stands chatting away, and the two teams seemed to be warming up. Karin waved quickly at someone on the Nohebi team, a boy slightly taller than Izumi with very narrow eyes. The boy waved back with a fox like grin. Izumi felt herself deflate a bit at the sight of him, Karin had the oddest taste in boys. She looked at the team in red and black and noticed Kuroo before he noticed her. He was talking to the team and pointing things out that Izumi couldn't see. The rather short boy, with shoulder length bleach hair pointed in her direction and Izumi could feel a blush creep up her neck and hoped it stayed down. Kuroo turned and after seeing her smiled and jogged over.

"Great, you made it! We're just about to start. I saved you two seats." He ask before sticking out his hand to Karin.

"You must be Karin, Nomura said you'd be coming." He smiled amiably at her friend and they shook hands.

"That's me, thanks for inviting her. You're in my good books for that, but unfortunately I'll have to be cheering for Daisho's team." She said as they shook hands. Kuroo's eyes narrowed and sly smile crept onto his face.

"Ah, you're his new girlfriend." He said. Karin smiled a wickedly polite smile and squeezed his hand harder than necessary.

"Right again." She said as they seemed to square off.

"Where should we sit?" Izumi asked breaking the staring contest with some reluctance. Kuroo showed them to a just behind the scorekeepers table. They'd sat two chairs there just for she and Karin. Karin sat on the side closest to Nohebi while Izumi sat near to Nekoma. As she sat down and Kuroo excused himself Izumi could feel the eyes of the Nekoma team watching her curiously.

"This should be a good game, Daisho says that Nekoma is pretty good." Karin said pulling out pompoms from her bag. Izumi stared at them incredulously. As the game started Kuroo sent her a wink that made her laugh.

As it turned out he and his teammate were extremely good, at least in Izumi's limited experience. Daisho's team was just as good. Karin explained things that Izumi didn't understand throughout the three sets. Eventually Nekoma took the win. Izumi had watched the game with wide eyes, it was like watching a professional match on TV. They all seemed very passionate about the game. As the teams bowed to each other and the captains shook hands she and Karin stood up. Karin bounded over to Daisho leaving Izumi in her spot.

Kuroo walked over after grabbing a towel and water bottle, he nodded to the court.

"What did you think?" He asked a little out of breath. Izumi suddenly felt like a deer caught in headlights. Kuroo's face was flushed, his skin was glistening with sweat, and his eyes were so bright that the amber of his eyes was almost yellow. She could even smell a pleasant musk coming from him. All she could do was stare. Kuroo's smile dropped a bit as if he was unsure of the situation.

"Nomura? You okay?" He asked waving a hand in front of her face. Izumi shook her head, it had gone all fuzzy, and that flush from earlier had come back in force.

"It was awesome." She said in a small voice that seemed not to want to come out. Kuroo grinned again.

"Have you ever seen a game before?" He asked tossing the towel over his shoulder. She shook her head.

"No, I've only seen a bit on TV." She said fiddling with her bag strap. He was about to ask her another question when Karin and Daisho walked over. The soft look on Kuroo's face turned rather predatory as the other boy blandly smiled at him.

"Izumi, I wanted you to meet Daisho." Karin said clutching the boy's arm. Daisho was a bit taller than Izumi, and had a rather sly looking face. He smiled at Izumi and she had the feeling that if a snake smiled it would look like Daisho.

"Nice to meet you Nomura, Karin talks about you a lot." He said in a friendly tone. Izumi bowed politely.

"Nice to meet you too." She said awkwardly. Kuroo moved a bit closer to her and smiled at Daisho.

"Good game, Nohebi is challenging as always." He said rather darkly. Izumi looked between Kuroo and Daisho and could feel the tension growing thick.

"No need to be polite, we'll not lose next time." Daisho said sinisterly. Izumi was watching them nervously, wondering what history the two had. Karin noticing the atmosphere clapped her hands.

"Alright! It's not too late, we should all go for a nice ice cream or something." Karin said sternly. Daisho immediately seemed to sweeten up.

"That sounds great Karin, Nomura would you like to join us?" He asked Izumi. Izumi was about to tell them that she was going to head home when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Nomura has already said she'd go with me." Kuroo said with a pleasant smile. Karin looked between Izumi and Kuroo judging her friends reaction with a smile.

"Right, Nomura?" Kuroo asked looking down at her. Izumi swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Uh, sure. Yeah. Yes, I did." She said bumbling through her words. The short boy with the bleached hair casually appeared out of nowhere on the other side of Izumi.

"Nomura did promise." He said in a small voice. Kuroo's eyes widened at the boys voice and then smiled. Karin smiled conspiratorially.

"Oh yes, I do remember Izumi mentioning something like that." Izumi felt very out of her depth, and smiled resignedly at Karin. Karin quickly gathered Daisho and ushered him out along with his team.

"I like that friend of yours." Kuroo said watching them go. Izumi laughed a bit and nodded. Kuroo then turned his attention to the short boy.

"Nomura this is Kenma Kozume our setter." He said introducing the boy. He bowed a bit and Izumi followed suit.

"Hello." She said. Then they both awkwardly fell into a shy silence. Kuroo looking between them laughed and shook his head.

"Come one, let's go get that ice cream." He said pulling Kenma along with him. He looked back at Izumi who was unsure of where to wait.

"Hang out here for a bit Nomura, I'll be right back." She smiled and nodded.

Tetsuro

As he and Kenma made their way to the club room Kenma kept glancing at him.

"That was interesting." Tetsuro said grinning. Kenma nodded, he'd seen the girl Izumi struggling with the two and had instinctively went to help her. Tetsuro had been surprised by the boy's interference, but was grateful for the help.

"She seems nice." Kenma said as they went to change. Tetsuro was welcomed into the room by wiggling eyebrows and sly smiles. He'd known they were coming and rolled his eyes.

"If you go with us, don't overwhelm her. She's shy." He said whipping his shirt off. Morisuke barked a laughed as he too changed shirts.

"That girl? Shy? If anything she looks like an ice queen." Morisuke said. Tetsuro only smiled.

"She's tall, does she play?" Taketora said checking his Mohawk in his mirror. Tetsuro shook his head.

"Not at all. I met her at the prep school last week." As the boys got dressed Tetsuro couldn't help the smirk that kept popping up when he thought about the sparkling look Izumi had when he'd come seen her after the game. He was a little irked that the guys were going to go with them, and he was somewhat surprised that he wanted her all to himself.

Izumi

As she waited for the boys to come get her she found her stomach swirling in nerves. While going to get a snack with Kuroo was in its own way frightening, going with the Nekoma team was terrifying. She didn't know any of them. Would they want to talk about volleyball? She didn't know anything about it. She'd never really hung out with all boys either. She quickly pulled out her phone and messaged Karin.

What do I talk about with a team of boys? – Izumi

She waited for Karins reply with baited breath, and when her phone buzzed she exhaled deeply.

Let them talk about themselves, they'll never shut up. : - Karin

Izumi giggled at her friend's advice, but hoped that it'd help. She was about to put her phone in her purse when is buzzed again.

Stick to Kuroo, he'll take care of you. I think he's quite smitten. – Karen

Izumi felt her face heat up, and she couldn't think of anything to say to that. As she mulled over what Karin had said Kuroo poked his head into the gym.

"Ready Nomura?" He asked as she stood up and walked towards him.

"Sure." She said quietly. Behind him was the team, Kenma and the others. Kuroo pointed each of them out as he introduced them, then introduced her.

"Guys this is Izumi Nomura." He said as they all gazed at her in interest.

"You guys dating?" Morisuke asked suddenly, and Izumi felt her whole body turn red. She shook her head vehemently while the boy with the Mohawk karate chopped the third year over the head.

"She's shy!" He said in a harsh whisper, smiling apologetically at her. Kuroo laughed at the two and shook his head.

"Let's go you morons." He said leading the way. The whole team was dressed in their red and black sweats, and looked rather cool to Izumi. She instinctually stayed next to Kuroo, and on the other side of him was Kenma. They all made their way to a corner store and all selected ice creams. The guys asked her about her school, the club her uncle owned, and if she liked the game. It was stressful and awkward in the beginning, but by the time they'd all finished their ice creams she'd begun to feel a little more at ease. Kuroo had only had to help her a few times. Izumi also felt a sort of kinship with Kenma, he was the nearest in temperament to herself.

The boys all waved as they left one by one for home, until it was just Kenma, Kuroo and herself.

"Well that was fun." Kuroo said stretching a bit, while Kenma silently agreed. Izumi had to also agree. It had been fun.

"I suppose I should get home soon." She said looking at her watch, Kohei was bound to have dinner ready soon. Kuroo nodded.

"We'll walk you home." He said smiling at her. Izumi chucked her Popsicle stick into a bin.

"That's alright you don't have to." She said wondering how someone so sly looking could be so kind. Kuroo waved a hand.

"No, no, no. I couldn't possibly let you walk home alone. A girl alone? In this neighborhood?" She and Kenma looked at each other and shook their heads.

"You and I know this is a perfectly safe neighborhood." Izumi said with a laugh. Kuroo laced an arm through one of hers. Izumi went stiff at the contact, which had caught her off guard.

"Either way, we'll walk you home." He said smiling down at her. Kenma sighed but said nothing.

"Well…I…uh. Alright." She said focused completely on the arm that was around hers. Kuroo's arm wasn't like Kohei's, whose was slender and soft. His was hard with sinew, and much bigger than hers. She couldn't argue with him, not at the moment.

"Lead on Nomura." He said.

The walk was relatively quiet Kuroo and Kenma talking about the game here and there. Izumi stirred them towards her house and as the came to the gate Kenma and Kuroo went silent.

"You live here?" Kenma said, surprisingly. Kuroo was staring at the house with wide eyes.

"Yeah. Thanks for walking me." Izumi said at the gate. She bowed slightly to the boys. Kenma elbowed Kuroo and the taller boy shook his head.

"No problem, see you at prep?" He asked with a smile. Izumi nodded and waved goodnight. She was slightly embarrassed with her house, and the boy's reactions to it. As she collapsed onto the couch she rubbed her arm. The one Kuroo had been holding, it tingled where his arm had been.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to those who've reviewed, I appreciate it. I fixed most of my errors in ch. 2 they had me cringing. -_-

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Chapter 3

Getting To Know You

Izumi had told Koh all about her time with the boys, and Karin of course, at dinner. He had smiled at her but his grip on his chopsticks had broken the wood.

"You alright?" Izumi had asked him. The older man had smiled in a rather forced way and sat down the broken chopsticks.

"I should meet this Kuroo, if he's trying to date you." He'd said sinisterly. Izumi's face had gone hot and she'd vehemently denied they were dating. Koh looked at her like with an odd expression and then took their empty plates.

"Izumi, he is clearly interested in you. I know you aren't that oblivious." He said washing dishes. Izumi had known that, really she had, but only now realized just how obvious it had been. She'd gone to bed thinking about it and nothing else.

Now, Izumi sat in her spot at prep school with a small bag of cookies Koh had made. He'd told her to give them to Kuroo in thanks for inviting her to the game. She looked at the empty seat beside her and felt her stomach begin to twist. The classroom door opened and Kuroo walked in, his school's track suit on. He must have come straight from practice. He looked up and smiled at her as he made his way to his seat.

"Hey Nomura, how was your day?" He asked sitting down and placing his bag down. Words seemed to fail Izumi as she worked her mouth like a fish out of water. She held up the bag of cookies to him. Kuroo took them and smiled in confusion.

"Everything alright?" He asked opening the bag and taking a cookie then offering her one. Izumi took one and shook her head.

"Are you...do you want to go out with me?" She asked looking up from the cookie to Kuroo. His normally sly eyes were like saucers now and the cookie in his fingers dropped to the desk a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Izumi thought is was rather comical to see him agasp. Then upon reflection of what words had stumbled out of her mouth she felt a horrified flush paint her usually pale skin.

"Wait! What I mean was are you trying to date me? I didn't mean...I mean not that you're not great...I mean...I...Oh god." She rambled on until she covered her face and sat her head on the desk. Kuroo for his part was holding back a laugh. Trying. Kuroo popped the fallen cookie into his mouth as Izumi peeked up at him from between her arms.

"For a moment there, I thought you were asking me out." He said watching her. Izumi looked away instantly.

"To answer your question, I wanted to get to know you better, but yes I find you attractive and would like to take you out on a date." He said utterly confident and smooth. Izumi felt her eyes go wide.

"How can you just say it like that?" She asked, really asking how confident he could be with the chance of rejection so high. Kuroo shrugged.

"How else should I say it? I like you, I want to go on a date, why should I hide that or be unsure?" He asked taking out his notebook. Izumi finally came up from the desk and stared at him in awe.

"Don't you know what you want Izumi?" He asked looking back at her, his cheeks still a tiny bit tinged.

"I...mean, aren't you worried I could say no?" She asked. Kuroo shook his head no.

"You can say no, that's fine, but I would just ask again. Until you said yes." He said with that infamous grin of his. Izumi actually giggled at that.

"So confident." She said as the teacher walked into the classroom.

"Thanks for the cookies." He whispered before the teacher began writing on the board.

After prep class was over, and the cookie bag empty, Kuroo and Izumi packed their things and Karin met them at the door.

"Hey Izumi, I'm heading to dinner with Dai, so I won't be going to station with you." Karin said with her hands up in apology. Izumi smiled.

"That's alright have fun." She said as Karin bounced away happily. Kuroo laughed as the bouncy girl disappeared.

"Hopefully that guy will hold on to this one." He said as he and Izumi walked out to the street. Izumi looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Kuroo smiled at her with a suspiciously innocent smile.

"Come eat dinner with me and I'll tell you." He said and Izumi instantly knew that their earlier conversation was not going to go under the rug.

"What if you come to my house for dinner?" She asked surprising not only herself. Kuroo hadn't thought she would go with him today but he felt a flicker of excitement at her suggestion.

"My...brother wants to meet you." She said as they began walking to the train. Kuroo felt himself stop and he smiled grudgingly.

"Ah, a brother." He said with a sigh. Izumi smiled shyly at him.

"Alright but you owe me a date, no questions asked." He said as the two got on her train. Izumi nodded nervously and then pulled out her phone.

"Koh? I'm bringing over Kuroo for dinner, is that okay?" She asked into her phone. Meanwhile Kuroo was picturing a dark haired, similar featured man with demon horns and red glowing eyes.

"Yes, the one from prep school...okay thanks." She hung up the phone and smiled at Kuroo.

"He says it's hamberger tonight, lucky you." Kuroo laughed and the two sat down.

"Want to go over some notes from class?" She asked and Kuroo nodded.

As Izumi opened the front door and let Kuroo in she noticed the boy had gone very quiet. They took off their shoes and walked into the living room.

"I'm home." Izumi called out into the large house. The smell of dinner made Kuroo's stomach growl.

"Come on, this way." Izumi said as she led him to the kitchen. Walking there Kuroo noticed how unlived in the house seemed. There were no pictures on the walls, everything decor wise was in it's perfect place.

"You guys just move in?" He asked as they made their way. Izumi looked at him confused.

"Nope, I've lived here since I was a baby." Kuroo frowned a bit at that information. They passed the dining room which he noted was huge and unused and finally went into the kitchen where a more comfortable table was. It was set with three places and looked almost gourmet. From the kitchen the man he guessed was Koh came in with a salad. Kuroo wondered if the man was really her brother, he was blonde and had brown eyes.

"Ah, you must be Kuroo. Nice to meet you." Koh said setting the salad down and reaching out a hand to the younger man. Kuroo smiled and took the proffered hand.

"Yes, nice to meet you." For a moment the just smiled at each other, and then their hands began to get tighter and tighter until Izumi noticed that they were both going rather pale. She sat in her place and cleared her throat.

"Let's eat." She said watching the two in slight confusion, she wasn't quite sure why they both seemed to be sizing each other up.

"Izumi tells me you play volleyball, and are captain as well." Koh said starting the conversation. Kuroo nodded.

"Yes, I play for Neckoma. Izumi tells me you're her brother." He said back to the man. Koh actually looked surprised for a moment. He looked at Izumi and smiled affectionately.

"Well, not by blood. I'm actually her father's assistant. I just keep an eye on the house and Izumi." He said looking back at Kuroo.

"I've known him for a long time though." Izumi said between bites. Kuroo wondered what her parents did.

"You were going to tell me what you meant about Daisho and Karin." She said now looking at Kuroo. He chuckled a bit and nodded.

"Right, deals a deal." He said taking a drink. The food was really damn good. Koh watched the two silently.

"I've known Dai since middle school. It's not that he's a bad guy but it seems he can't hold a steady girlfriend for longer that a few months." Izumi nodded and looked thoughtful.

"Well they've been dating for a month or so now, I guess we'll see. Karin seems to really like him." She said with a warm smile. Kuroo wondered if she knew how lovely that smile was. Koh felt a tick of annoyance as he watched Kuroo smile at Izumi...He wanted to smack the younger man upside the head.

"We have another practice game coming up soon, would you like to come?" Kuroo asked as they finished dinner and all just say chatting. Izumi nodded.

"Sure, that sounds fun." She said with a smile. Koh felt a bit of sadness squeez his chest. Normally Izumi would have be horrified to be invited out, unless it was Karin doing the asking. However that sadness made way for a flash of pride. The young shy girl had no problem saying yes to this young man. He stood up from the table and took everyone's plate.

"Izumi, you take a bath first today." He said placing the dishes in the sink. Izumi looked up at him in surprise.

"Oh, okay. I'll see Kuroo out then." She said standing from the table followed by Kuroo. Koh smiled at her.

"Don't worry about it I'll walk him out. We need a man to man talk anyway." He said innocently. Izumi looked between Kuroo and Koh sensing some tension.

"O...kay. See you tomorrow then Kuroo." she said slipping out of the room. Koh walked Kuroo to the door as promised and as the black haired teen slipped on his shoes the older man towered over him.

"I'm just going to get this out of the way right now." The normally even tempered Kohei said with a dangerous edge in his voice. Kuroo looked up with his best apathetic look.

"Izumi is as good as my sister, so naturally I want her to be happy. Meaning if you make that girl cry, or break that delicate heart. I will make you suffer. Understand?" Kuroo stood up and checked his sneaker.

"I understand. Hope to see you around Kohei." He said with a dangerous look of his own. As Kuroo closed the door Koh laughed and shook his head. Kuroo was no so easily cowed, and it was hard not to admire the young man's even temper even after being threatened.

At school Izumi and Karin were chatting in between periods when Izumi's phone vibrated. Kuroo's name blinked up at her and she found a small smile creeping onto her face.

"That Kuroo?" Karin asked conspiratorially. Izumi nodded and read his message.

" _Italian. Dinner. Sunday."_ Was all it said and Izumi caught the attention of most of the students in the classroom when she began laughing. She wiped at a tear that had formed and shook her head.

"He's so demanding." She said with amusement. Karin smiled at her friend warmly.

"A date?" She asked leaning over to look at the message. Izumi nodded. Karin pumped a fist into the air.

"Bout time!" She said heatedly. The students close enough to the two began whispering about the Ice Queen and a date.

Sunday came faster than Izumi had expected, and while throughout the week she'd been rather calm about the whole affair on the actual morning she felt butterflies and apprehension seep into her bones. Normally she would not have given two thoughts to her clothing, her hair or her look in general. Today however she felt the need to look as cute and put together as Karin did when she was out with Daisho.

She pulled out a simple white sun dress that had pretty short lace sleeves. It actually made her pale skin look a little tan. She choose flat sandals that where a neutral color, and then began the arduous take of curling her short hair slightly. She'd never put on much makeup so she stuck with lip gloss and mascara. Grabbing her simple purse she headed downstairs where Koh was making breakfast.

"Morning Izumi." He said as he scrambled eggs. Izumi smiled at his back and sat down.

"Morning." She said sipping on the coffee he'd poured for her. Koh turned around to plate the eggs and stopped to stare at her. He blinked and felt his grip tighten around the pan. He almost told her to go through on a hoodie but shook his head.

"You look wonderful." He said honestly, although he wanted her to cover up all that loveliness. Izumi looked down shyly at the table.

"Thanks." She said softy. He sat down and slid a plate towards her.

"Where are you two going?" He asked as they ate. Izumi looked up at him and shrugged.

"He wouldn't tell me." She said with a little laugh. Koh felt his eye twitch, that little...Izumi finished her food quickly and checked her watch.

"Time to go! See you later Koh." She said practically running out the door. Koh shook his head and smiled after her.

Izumi stepped off the train at the stop Kuroo had told her to and looked around for the familiar bed head. He was waiting near the exit and was looking at his phone. He was lent up against a wall ever so coolly. He wore a pair of dark jeans, a simple t-shirt with a loose cardigan over it. His worn looking sneakers added another note of cool to his look. Young girls were giggling as they passed him. Izumi walked towards him and just as she was about to call out to him he looked up and smiled at her.

"Izumi." He said in greeting and waved at her. He pushed off the wall and held out a hand to her with a smile. Izumi looked from him to his hand.

"Hey." She said shaking his hands in confusion. Kuroo's face exploded into a full on laugh as he gripped her hand and pulled her into a hug still laughing. With face aflame Izumi looked up at him.

"What's...why are you laughing?" She asked seriously lost. Kuroo looked down at her.

"You shook my hand." He said with another snicker. Izumi nodded and still seemed confused. Kuroo released her and took the hand that she'd used to shake his and then held it up between them.

"I meant, that we're going to hold hands." He said explaining it to her. Izumi felt her shoulders slump and she went a little blue in the face.

"I'm an idiot." She said self depreciative. Kuroo laughed and pulled her along till they were out of the station then he handed her a ticket.

"The aquarium?" She asked looking at him. Kuroo nodded.

"There's a new exhibit with jellyfish that Kenma said was interesting. Then we can head somewhere you want to and after that I made reservations at that italian restaurant I mentioned earlier this week." He said as he began to lead her down the sidewalk.

"Wow you planned a full day." She said impressed as they walked along, still holding hands. Kuroo winked at her.

"Of course." He said happily. Izumi looked at their hands, Kuroo's was so much bigger than hers, and rough. I was warm though ad comfortable. He seemed so at ease, while Izumi's insides were a jumble.

They made it to the aquarium and relinquished their tickets at the gate. They chatted about the fish, and then went through the glass hallway stopping when Kuroo requested a picture from another couple. He'd put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side with a large grin, while Izumi shyly smiled at the camera. He thanked the couple and then suggested they head to the jellyfish exhibit. Inside the room was rather dark, the only light coming from the giant aquariums holding the jellies. They were so close together, Izumi could feel his heat next to her. In the dark that closeness seemed to make her ten times more aware of it, and far more nervous.

"Did you know that jellyfish can live forever? They are usually eaten before that though." Kuroo said as they watched a rather cute group of jellies.

"That's interesting." She said quickly and quietly. Kuroo looked down at her and quirked his head to the side.

"Everything alright?" He asked watching her face in the low light. Izumi looked away quickly and gave a quick nervous laugh. Suddenly a wicked grin spread across Kuroo's face and he let go of her hand only to move behind her and slip his arms around her waist. Izumi's shocked gasp made him chuckle. He leant his chin onto her shoulder and then whispered.

"Why so nervous? Think I'll jump you in the dark?" He asked with a low tone of amusement. He felt her tense up and he laughed.

"Isn't that what you're doing now?" She asked quietly. Kuroo let her go and once again caught her hand.

"The dark makes things seem more intimate doesn't it?" Izumi's shoulders relaxed once he'd put her thoughts into words. The blue light from the tank shadowed his handsome features but Izumi was positive her was grinning at her.

"So that's why you brought me here." She said suddenly understanding. He laughed at her accusing tone.

"Caught me." He said as they moved to the next tank.

"You're a rogue." She said with a small smile. It hadn't been at all unpleasant, the move had just been unexpected and bold. Izumi was coming to expect it from him.

"You're going to shock me to death Kuroo." She said resigned to it. He smiled as they exited the jellyfish room.

"Tetsurou will do I think." he said as they moved towards the part of the aquarium where you could touch certain fish. Izumi smiled at him, no blush present, and nodded.

"Tetsurou." It was his turn to feel the heat of a blush on his cheeks.

After the aquarium they went to Shibuya and shopped around, wasting time until their reservation. By the time rolled around that they needed to leave they'd each made small purchases and had grabbed a coffee. Conversation had been light hearted and, to Izumi's relief, easy. They walked to the restaurant hand in hand Tetsurou telling her all about a rival volleyball team, and something about a trash battle. Izumi was surprised to find that the italian place was rather fancy. They were seated quickly.

"Good Evening, what can I get you two to drink?" The waiter asked. They ordered, and then a sort of comfortable silence settled over the table.

"Can I ask a question?" Tetsurou asked fiddling with the straw of his drink. Izumi smiled at him.

"I don't know, can you?" She asked him with a playful snicker. Tetsurou laughed and shook his head.

"You're parents aren't around often are they?" He asked, smile gone. Izumi traced the rim of her glass thoughtfully.

"No, not really. They're in Paris right now. Or they were last week." She said with a small smile. He nodded in understanding.

"Is that why you work so hard?" He asked her causing her to look up at him in confusion. Tetsurou leaned back in his chair.

"You go to a prestigious school, are in the top ten percent, and even go to a prep school after school. From what I've weaseled out of Karin you rarely have time for yourself." He said cautiously. Izumi blinked at him.

"You've been talking to Karin?" She wondered out loud. Tetsurou chuckled and nodded.

"Jealous?" He asked leaning forward. Izumi laughed and shook her head.

"That's just a curious thing to do." She said then took a long sip of her drink. Tetsurou shook his head.

"Are you going to answer the question?" He asked probingly. Izumi watched him for a moment.

"In a way, yes. I guess you're right. I want them to be proud. They expect a lot from me." She said as the waiter sat down their food.

"Why do I feel like I hear a 'but' coming?" He asked as he cut into his dish. Izumi smiled and shook her head.

"But, lately I've been wondering why I never took time to do what I actually wanted to." It was quiet for a moment as they both ate.

"What is it you want to do?" He asked after his bite.

"I'm not sure just yet, but this is fun." She said gesturing between the two of them. Tetsurou sat back again and laughed.

"I'm glad you think so." He said before conversation turned to lighter subjects. She asked him about his own family who she could tell he loved. Then he asked her about Kouhei and if he should be jealous, to which Izumi laughed so hard she snorted.

Tetsurou walked her home after they had taken the train. As Izumi reached for the gate Tetsurou let go of her hand.

"Izumi." He said as she unlocked the gate. She turned around to say goodnight to him, but something warm and firm pressed against her lips. Tetsurou had caught her shoulders and then had leaned in to kiss her. His eyes were closed, his face softer than she'd ever seen it. He released her before she could even contemplate returning the kiss. He smiled down at her and then ruffled her hair.

"Thanks for today, I'll see you later." He said softly. In a daze Izumi felt herself wave to him and then walk into the house where Koh was waiting in front of the tv. He watched her walk up the stairs in a zombie like state.

"What the hell…" He said as she disappeared.


End file.
